Shafaq News / On Thursday, the head of the Federal Integrity Commission, Judge Haider Hanoun, reviewed Iraq’s achievements during a year in combating corruption, and while he urged international organizations to recognize achievements that he described as “unprecedented” at the level of deterrence, prevention, awareness and education, he stressed the intrusion into the field of illicit gain. Referring files inflated by more than a quarter of a trillion dinars.
Hanoun said, during his speech at the forum held by the European Union mission in Iraq on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day under the title (Iraq… Prospects and Challenges of Combating Corruption), that “the Commission has made great strides in combating corruption, and its experience in this field is almost unique among the countries of the world.” He called on international organizations to “do justice to Iraq and place it in advanced ranks in the anti-corruption rankings.”
Hanoun reviewed the Authority’s efforts over the course of a year in the preventive, educational and awareness-raising aspect, and the large campaign it launched to follow up on the debts of senior officials and the inflation occurring therein, stressing that opening this file resulted in very great achievements, as the amount of funds amounted to an amount that represented an inflation in light of the technical reports of the Prevention Department. Referral of its files to the judiciary exceeds (266) billion dinars.
The head of the Integrity Commission appreciated the role of the judiciary and the current government in providing support to the Commission in carrying out its noble tasks to eradicate the scourge of corruption from the body of state institutions, stressing that “the Commission worked to recover the accused and the funds, whether inside or outside Iraq, and invested in the government’s successes at the international level to conclude agreements.” Some of the cooperation bore fruit and resulted in the recovery of some of those convicted of corruption cases.
Hanoun praised the great efforts made by international and regional organizations to cooperate with Iraq in confronting the scourge of corruption, especially the United Nations Development Program and the European Union mission that funded the project (Supporting Justice Initiatives to Combat Corruption and Promoting the Settlement of Commercial Disputes), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, And the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
European Union
For his part, European Union Ambassador Thomas Seiler pointed out that the phenomenon of corruption has an international dimension and exists even in developed countries. Which affects the health, security, education and other sectors, pointing out that effective combating corruption leads to getting rid of poverty and unemployment, while its spread constitutes a source of organized crime that drains the local economy and contributes to undermining confidence in the system and the state.
Seiler praised Iraq’s recent measures in the field of combating corruption, which sent a signal to the European Union and countries of the world that Iraq is serious about fighting this crime and its commitment to the decisions and articles of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, explaining that the rule of law in society represents an attractive environment for investment and building a strong economy.
Baghdad resume
On the other hand, the Deputy President of the Baghdad Court of Appeal – Al-Rusafa, Judge Iyad Mohsen Damad, praised the cooperation and coordination between the judiciary and the regulatory agencies in the battle of integrity against corruption, recalling that the Supreme Judicial Council intended to form courts specialized in examining integrity issues, and to support judges in their ruling decisions. They issue them against those who trespass on public funds and seek to recover the accused and the smuggled funds.
Damad pointed out that coordination and cooperation with the Integrity Commission, the Supervision Bureau, and the Anti-Money Laundering Office resulted in the issuance of the Financial Investigation Guide, which is available for investigative judges and investigators to benefit from.
Sudanese role
Meanwhile, the advisor to the Prime Minister, Moayad Al-Saadi, stressed Al-Sudani’s determination to move forward with the anti-corruption file, and to support the regulatory agencies in holding the corrupt and thieves of public money accountable without setting any red lines towards any government employee.
Al-Saadi concluded by saying that Al-Sudani urged “to take legal measures against anyone who dares to encroach on public funds, whether he is a current or former official,” praising the measures of the Federal Integrity Commission to confront corruption, whether at the level of combating it or preventing it.
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